Depth-filled-gaging machine for cans



J. KELLINGTON. DEPTH FILLED meme. MACHINE FOR CANS.

' APPLICATION FILED JAN. 22, I920.

Patented Dec. 6, 1921.

R M Q m E.

JOHN KELLINGTON, 01* VAN GOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA.

DEPTH-FILLED-GAGING MACHINE FOR CANS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 6, .1921.

Application filed January 22, 1920. Serial No. 353,231.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, JoHN KnLLiNe'roN, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada, residing at Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Depth- Filled-Gaging Machines for Cans, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a means for selecting cans that are filled with meat or fish to the required height, and rejecting those that are either over or under charged. It is designed to be supplementary to the weighing machines in common use, as although a can may be of sufficient weight, if not filled to the top, the public are apt to consider they are getting short weight, and those cans that are over-charged obstruct the proper fitting of the can covers, and

after the covers are sealed on they will not draw in with the vacuum that should be maintained in the can to properly preserve the contents. This concavity of the covers is the only guide which buyers have as to the condition of the contents. Covers that are bulged or convex are invariably rejected by purchasers as defective on the assumption that the bulging is caused by fermentation or decay.

This invention rejects all cans that are not filled to the required depth that they may be further attended to, and passes to the weighing machine those properly filled.

The invention is fully described in the following specification, reference being made to the drawings by which it is accompanied, in which:

Figure l is a plan of the device with the head of the machine removed.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on the line 22 in Fig. 1 with the gage lever in that line.

Fig. 3, a side elevation on the same line 22 with the central parts removed.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the gaging lever as applied to a can.

Fig. 5 is a section on the lme 5-5 in Fi 1.

in these drawings 2 represents the table or top of the machine frame which is suitably supported at a convenient'height above the floor level for the attendant. The cans 4 are delivered to the machine by a conveyer band 5 which, within the range of the machine, is fenced as at 34, to retain the cans on the band. As they approach the machine the cans are spaced apart the required distance, which spacing device may be of any approved kind, and as it does not form a part of the invention, is not shown in the drawlngs.

An angular fence 8, projecting from one side of the band 5, moves the cans laterally off the conveyer band and on to the table 2 within reach of the projecting members 6 of a conveyor chain 7, by which conveyer they are carrled through the gaging device and are delivered therefrom to be weighed.

The conveyer chain 7 passes around a sprocket wheel 9 rotatably mounted on a splndle 10 secured in and upwardly projectlng from a member 11, which is adjustably secured to the table 2 of the machine in a manner that it may serve as a tightener for.

the chain 7.

The hub of'the sprocket wheel 9 is upwardly produced as at 12, and on it is secured, to rotate with the sprocket above the level of the tops of the cans, a flanged head 13 on which is pivotally mounted at 14 a gage carrying lever 15, which passes around the hub of the head 13 and projects beyond the diametrically opposite side of it.

Adjacent the free end of this lever 14: is adjustably secured the stem 16 of a gage disk 17, which disk, when the lever is not otherwise supported, lowers into the open end of a can 4 as carried around the sprocket wheel 9, with which object the flanged head 13, which carries the lever and gage disk, is secured on the hub 12 of the sprocket wheel that the center of the disk may angularly correspond with the center of a can against a projecting arm 6 of the chain.

On the extreme end of the gage lever 15 is mounted a small roller wheel 18 which is designed to run around a circular track ring 19 and support the gage lever with its gage disk 17 clear of the tops of the cans, eX- cept where, at 20, it is-des'ired to have the disk lowered on to the surface of the fish or meat packed in the cans to gage whether it is packed to the required depth. At this place 20, the track ring 19 has a depression to allow the lever to lower and to raise it again after the gaging has been accom plished.

This track ring 19 is carried by supports 21-from the outer edge of a head ring 22, which is secured on the upper end of the spindle 10 on which the sprocketwheel and its connected parts rotate, so that the support ring 19 and the head ring 22 are stationary.

Projecting from the forward edge of the gage lever is a thin flat bar23 pivoted at 33 to an upward projection on the lever,

and normally supported in a substantially of the bar 23 as it moves around on the stem 10. The segment 24 and its plates 3 are vertically adjustable in their attachment to the head ring 22 and are designed to enable the bar 23 to operate a mechanism by which a can, if under-charged or over-charged, may be diverted from the path along which the properl filled cans may pass to be Wei hed. he forward edge of the end of the har 23, and the ends of the parallel guide plates 3, which are toward the direction of approach ofthe bar 23, are beveled both ways that they may freely pass one another.

If a can is over-charged the gage lever 15 will be lifted that its attached bar 23 will move over the upper side of the top plate 3, while, if the can is insufliciently charged the lever will lower and the bar 23 will pass underthe lower guide plate 3., WVhere the cans are correctly filled the bar 23 will pass between the two plates.

Held by a light compression spring'26 against the ends of the guide plates 3, is a short lever 27, secured on a vertical shaft 28, which isrockably mounted in a bearing 29 formed on the head ring 22 and therefore stationary. The end of this lever 27, where it contacts with the end of the guide plates 3, has a portion removed as at 30 corresponding to the space between the two guide plates 3 and the divided upper and lower ends, extend in width above and below the guide plate and are grooved that they will be engaged by and will retain engagement with the end of the bar '23 as it passes from between the plates andwill move the lever 27 to rock the shaft 28.

On the lower end of the shaft 28 is secured a double switch arm 31, the position of which on the shaft is such that, when the lever 27 is in its normal positionagainst the ends of the guide plates 3, the switch arm 31 is, as shown in the drawing, in a position to permit passage of the cans along the track of the conveyer 7, and closes a passage 32 hrough the fence 34 and lead ing laterally away from that track, hates the end of the bar 23 is above or below the upper and lower guide plates 3 so as to engage the lever 27, that lever will be carried by the bar to the position indicated by dot and dash lines, and the can following will, by-contact with the switch arm 31, be

diverted from engagement with the conveyer chain 76 and be moved along a separate slideway for further treatment. 7

I do not desire to be confined to the particular means hereinbeifore described for effecting the selection of improperly charged cans from those that are properly charged, as regards the depth of the contents in the cans, and for diverting the improperly charged ones from the line or progression from the machineot properly charged cans, but claim the broad principle of such selection by mechanical means.

Having now particularly described my invention, and the manner of its operation, I hereby declare that what I claim as new and desire to be protected in by Letters Patent, is:

1. A means for separating from cans that are charged to a required depth allthose that are charged above or below the re quired depth, said means comprising a table, means for conveylng the cans on the table, means for gaging the depth of the material in the cans, and means for culling out a such cans as are above or below the desired depth of charge and means for operating all of said operative means.

2. A means for separating from cans that are harged to a required depth all those that are charged above or below therequired depth, said means comprising the combine tion with a table ofmeans for conveying the cans along main track on the table, means cooperative with the conveying means for gaging the depth of the material in the cans, and means cooperative with the depth gaging means for diverting from the main track such cans as are above or below the desired depth of charge.

3. A means for separating from cans that are charged to a required depth all those that are charged above or below the required depth, said means comprising a table, means for moving cans on the'table in a defined path, means traveling with the cans for gaging the depth of material therein, means for definitely locating the gage height whether as desired or above or below, the desired limit, means for liftingthe gaging means from the can, and means diverting the cans that are charged above or below the desired limit from the path of those which are as desired.

l. A means for separating from cans that are charged to a required depth all those that are above or below that depth, said means comprisingthe combination with a table supported at a convenient height, means for delivering cans to the level of the table, a conveyerchain moving in a plane substantially parallel tothe top of the table and having can engaging projections spaced the required distance apart, said can conveying chain passing around a sprocket Wheel rotatably mounted adjacent the dewardly projecting from ,it over the axis of livery of the cans to the machine, a fence the can, and means cooperative with the laterally moving the cans off the can devertical position of the gage disk above or livery band on to the table Where they will below the desired height of the charge in 5 be engaged by the can engaging projections the cans for diverting from the can convey- 15 of the conveying chain, a lever pivotally ing chain such cans as are above or below mounted to move vertically in the plane of that height.

the axis of a can while against one of the In testimony whereof I affix my signature. can engaging projections of the conveyer 10 chain, said lever having a gage disk down- JOHN KELLINGTON. 

